Gas range



Sept. 23, 1952 s, TAYLOR 2,611,358

; GAS RANGE Filed July 10, 1945 INVENTOR ATTO R N EY Patented Sept. 23, 1952 2,611,358 GAS RANGE Robert S. Taylor, Evansville, Ind., 'assignor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July '10, 1945, Serial No. 04,146

Claims. 1

This invention relates to gas ranges and more particularly to table top cooking ranges.

In the construction of a gas range, in order to facilitate cleaning of the top burner grates, it is desirable that the grates be kept small and that individual grates be used. This heretofore has necessitated locating the top surface of the grates above the working surface of the cooking top to prevent products of combustion from the top burners from being blocked off in case an oversize cooking utensil is placed over the burner. It is also desirable in modern gas ranges to have the top surface of the grates substantially flush with the working surface of the cooking top. This facilitates the sliding of cooking utensils back and forth from the cooking top to the grates, and it permits cooking utensils to be positioned partly upon the surface of the cooking top and partly upon the grates over the burners and still be level. But. as indicated above, this arrangement of flush grates produces ahazard in that over-size cooking utensils may be placed" upon the grates and practically seal the openings below which the top burners are located, whereby the top burners do not receive sufficient air to support combustion and obnoxious carbon monoxide is formed. This is particularly true when over-size cooking utensils are placed over each of the top burners at the same time. Furthermore, with gas ranges having smooth cooking tops there is always the hazard that the grates might be replaced by solid stove lids, or that one or more of the grates might be removed in order to place cooking utensils directly over the burners, which in either case may result in incomplete combustion of the fuel gas. 4

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a gas range with a flush cooking top wherein means are provided for supplying adequate air to the top burners to assure complete combustion and for conveying the products of combustion away from the top burners.

It is a further and equally important object of this invention to provide means for conveying the products of combustion away from-the top burners of a gas range without appreciably heating the top or working surface of such range.

This invention, together with its objects and advantages, is more fully set forth in the following description and accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters are. used to designate like parts throughout the different views/and wherein: r

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional |-l of Fig. 2, illustrating the cooking top of a as ran e i orp rating inventi n;

View, taken on line Fig. '2 is a top plan view of the gas range illustrated in Fig. 1; 7

Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view of a flueway incorporating my invention} Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view through the flueway illustrated in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the 'flueway illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of reflector and drip pan; and

Fig. '7 is a side elevational view of the heat a combined heat reflector and drip pan looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6.

Referring now to the drawing, It! designates generally the cooking top of a gas range provided with a top panel or working surface '1 La back guard l2, a front or console panel l3, a rear panel i i and an inner panel I5. 1 The panels H, [3, l4 and I5 cooperate with end panels (not shown) to form a closed top-burner compartment A. The top panel H is provided with 'a suitable heat insulating material 16. Four circular openings are provided in the top panel ll and-are each formed with a vertical flange H, a horizontal flange I8 and a second vertical flange i9. Flanges H are each provided with three spaced lugs or ears I? (only one of which is shown).

Four generally similar top burner assemblies 2!) are located in compartment A with one burner assembly arranged centrally of each of the four openings in the top panel I I. Each of the burner assemblies includes a burner-supporting ring 2|" supported by lugs I1 and provided with a stirrup burner 23.at two points. The burner 23 is provided with a conventional mixing tube 24 having an air shutter in the front end thereof. This air shutter is provided with a central opening (not shown) adapted to receive a gas nozzle 25. The gas nozzle 25, which is supported by an angle member 26, acts as a thirdsupport for the'ga's burner 23. This particular manner of'remov ably supporting the gas burners beneath the cooking top is not a part of this invention, but is the invention of Albert-E. Smallwood, and'is illustrated and described inhis copending application Serial No. 570,687, filed December 30,

1944, now U. S. Patent No. 2,530,183. For a de-.- tailed description of this burner-supporting means, reference may bev had to said patent.

Each of the top burners is supplied with fuel gas from a manifold 21 provided with; gas valves 28.

Gas tubes 29 connect the valves 28 with the nozzles 25.

Each of thegas valves is provided. with an operating. button or handle 28a. But...

tons 28b and 280, respectively, control the supply of fuel gas to oven and broiler burners (not shown).

Each of the top burners is provided with a combined heat reflector and drip pan 30 and with a grate 3|. As shown. the heat reflectors 30 are each formed with a peripheral flange 32 which is adapted to rest upon one of the flanges l8 of the top panel. The flange 32 is provided with three semi-circular notches 33. The flanges l8 are each provided with three openings adapted to receive three lugs 34 (only one of which is shown in Fig. 1) formed on each of the grates 3|. The arrangement is such that the heat reflectors 30, as well as the grates 3|, are interchangeable and when they are properly positioned in the top panel, the peripheral flange 32 of a heat reflector rests upon a flange l8, and a grate rests upon flange 32 with the spaced lugs 34 of the grate passing through the spaced notches 33 of the flange 32 and into the spaced openings in the flange 18. By this arrangement, the heat reflectors and grates are properly located and centered relative to the top burners and are still readily removed for cleaning.

As shown in Fig. 1, the top surface of the grates is flush with the working surface of the top panel. Therefore, large flat-bottom cooking utensils may be placed upon the grates in such manner as to substantially seal the openings in the top panel, in which case means must be provided for supplying air to the top burners and for: conveying the products of combustion away from said burners.

In accordance with this invention, the heat reflectors 30 are each formed with a scoop or trough-shaped portion on one side thereof. This trough-shaped portion is formed by stamping or pressing one side of the reflector to form a horizontal bottom 30a and two vertical side walls 30b. The arrangement is such that in case an over-size receptacle is placed upon one of the burner grates, thereby blocking off the opening above the burner, the products of combustion pass from the burner through the trough-shaped portion of the heat reflector into horizontal flues 36, which flues will be described in more detail hereinafter. As shown in Fig. 1, the vertical flanges I1 are cut away Or omitted adjacent the inlet end of the horizontal flues and each of the supporting rings 2! has an opening adjacent the inlet end of each of these flues. With this arrangement, the vertical edges of the troughshaped portion of the heat reflectors 30 fit in abutting relation with the inner vertical edges of the horizontal flues. A suitable joint (not shown) may be provided between the outer edges of the trough-shaped portion of the heat reflectors and the inner edges of the horizontal flues, or the arrangement may be such that the troughshaped portions of the heat reflectors project slightly within the inlet ends of the horizontal flues. With such an arrangement, all of the products of combustion that pass through the trough-shaped portion of the heat reflectors is conveyed into the horizontal flues. A panel 42, supported in any suitable manner in burner compartment A, acts as a support for the horizontal flues and also forms a bottom for the flues. Air is admitted to the top burner compartment in any suitable manner, as by a plurality of louvers 35 formed in the front panel l3.

Each of the horizontal flues 36 is substantially identical and includes a pair of spaced channel members 36a and 361) provided with heat-insulating material 31 therebetween. The borders of the channel member 361) are flanged and are spot welded to the borders of the channel member 36a. Then the joined edges are brazed in a hydrogen atmosphere to provide a hermeticallysealed space between the channel members. This space is then evacuated of air" and sealed oil. The top front portion of each of the horizontal flues is arcuate in plan so as to conform to the contour of the vertical flanges IQ of the top panel. The joint between the top front portion of each of the horizontal flues and the vertical flanges l9 may be sealed in any suitable manner so as to prevent hot products of combustion from passing between the flues and the undersurface of the ,top panel ll. As shown, the trough-shaped portions of the heat reflectors are in line with and open directly into the flues.

As shown in Fig. 2, the horizontal flues for the first and second top burners, reading from left to right, converge into a common vertical flue 38 located in the back guard 12; and the horizontal flues for the third and fourth top burners converge into a common vertical flue 39 also located in the back guard. The vertical flues 38 and 39, which may be connected to oven and broiler flues (not shown), are constructed similarly to the top burner flues 36. That is, the vertical flues are formed of spaced walls with a suitable heat-insulating material therebetween, with the edges of the walls spot welded and brazed and with the space between the walls evacuated and sealed off. The vertical flues 38 and 39 discharge through louvers 40 and 4|, respectively, inthe top of back guard l2.

In operation, should any or all of the burner openings be completely covered by cooking utensils or the like, adequate air for proper combustion of fuel gas at the different burners is supplied to the burner compartment A through the louvers 35 in the front panel. From compartment A, primary air flows into the mixing tubes 24 of the top burners and secondary and excess air flows from compartment A upwardly through the center of the burners and through the space between the burners and the heat reflectors. In this manner, complete combustion is assured at each of the burners, even though all of the openings above the burners be sealed off by over-size cooking utensils. are carried off through the trough-shaped portions of the heat reflectors, into and through the horizontal flues and through the vertical flues in the back guard, thereby producing a chimney effect which causes fresh air to be drawn into compartment A through louvers 35. It is to be noted that by forming and insulating the flues in the manner described above, the hot products of combustion, in passing through the flues, do not transmit any appreciable amount of heat to the top panel.

For purposes of illustration, I have shown the air-admitting louvers 35 as being located in the front panel 13. However, these louvers may be located in the side panels or in the rear panel. If, for example, louvers are located in the rear panel I4, the panel 42 would then act as a deflector for conveyin air from the rear panel to the top burners. Also, while I have illustrated my improved horizontal flues as being incorporated in a gas range provided with four top burners in line, the flues may be used with e quail facility with any arrangement of top burners.

Therefore, my invention is not to be limited to The products of combustion the specific embodiment illustrated and described, but only within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A gas range having a top burner compartment formed of a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, said top panel being provided with a plurality of burner openings, means for admitting air into said burner compartment, a flueway in the compartment adjacent the top panel for withdrawing products of combustion from said compartment, said compartment being otherwise closed,

said flueway including an evacuated hermetically-sealed double Wall structure for insulating the interior of the flueway from the top panel, a burner in said compartment beneath each of said openings, a grate above each of said burners with the top surface thereof flush with the upper surface of said top panel, the construction and arrangement being such that each of the openings in said top panel may be closed and still maintain substantially complete combustion at each of the top burners.

2. A gas range having a top burner compartment formed of a top panel, a bottom panel, a front panel, a rear panel and two side panels, said top panel being provided with a plurality of burner openings, a burner in said compartment beneath each of said openings, means for admitting air into said burner compartment, a

flueway for each of said burners and located in the compartment adjacent the top panel for withdrawing products of combustion therefrom, said compartment being otherwise closed, each of said flueways including an evacuated hermetically-sealed double wall structure for insulating the interior of the flueway from the top panel, a grate above each of said burners with the top surface thereof flush with the upper surface of said top panel, and a heat reflector surrounding each of said burners with a portion thereof opening into one of said flueways, the construction and arrangement being such that each of the openings in said top panel may be closed and still maintain substantially complete combustion at each of the top burners.

3. A gas range havinga top Working surface with a name opening, a grate mounted in the opening with its top flush with the top working surface so that cooking utensils may be slid from the working surface over the flame opening, a gas burner underlying the flame opening, means for supplying gas to the burner including an air mixing tube, a compartment formed in part by the top working surf-ace for enclosing the burner and gas supplying means, said compartment having an inlet opening for air and an outlet opening for the products of combustion, and a flue conduit in said compartment independent of said top working surface and having means at one end surrounding the burner and flame opening below the top working surface and an opening at its other end adjacent the outlet opening for combustion products.

4. A gas range in accordance with claim 3 in which means are provided for insulating the flue from the top working surface.

5. A gas range in accordance with claim 3 in which the means at the end of the flue surrounding the burner and flame opening constitute a heat reflector and drip collector.

ROBERT S. TAYLOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 265,407 Goodwin Oct. 3, 1882 1,047,435 Nieberding .Dec. 17, 1912 1,091,649 Grady Mar. 31, 1914 1,184,828 Coulston May 30, 1916 1,511,941 Bromon Oct. 14, 1924 1,572,661 Iiindemann Feb. 9, 1926 1,649,416 ODowd Nov. 15, 1927 1,676,603 Dick July 10, 1928 1,736,473 Wilde Nov. 19, 1929 1,763,705 Hobson June 17, 1930 1,764,719 Gercich June 17, 1930 1,806,056 Hammer, et al May 19, 1931 1,934,127 Jones Nov. 7, 1933 1,942,265 Teller Jan. 2, 1934 2,174,852 Taylor Oct. 3, 1939 2,220,532 Lombardi Nov. 5, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 487,171 Germany Dec. 2, 1929 

